Sri Lanka Scout Association
The Sri Lanka Scout Association (Sinhala: ; ), the national Scouting organization of Sri Lanka, was founded in 1912, and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1953. The Ceylon Scout Council was incorporated by the Act No 13 of 1957. The coeducational Sri Lanka Scout Association has 36,297 members as of 2011. As Sri Lanka is a multireligious and multiracial country, Scouting has been a great unifying force. There are various community development projects carried out in cooperation with the government organizations, United Nations and other service organizations. Scouting has been introduced into the prisons. It has spread to other institutions such as certified schools. There are also Scout units for handicapped boys such as the blind and deaf and for boys in leprosy hospitals. History * 1912 - Scouting in Sri Lanka by F.G. Stevens at Christ Church Matale. * 1913 - Inception of the 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group,at Dharmaraja College * 1918 - Scouting brought by F.G. Stevens,1st Galle Mahinda Scout Group,at Mahinda College, Galle District. * 1916 - Western Province Rally at Havelock Park, Colombo. * 1917 - King's Flag (awarded by His Majesty the King George V) was won by 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scouts for the first time in Ceylon scouting history. * 1917 - First all Ceylon Rally at Havelock Race Course, Colombo. * 1917 - A. B. Rambukwella of the 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group, won the King's Scout Badge as the first Ceylonese King Scout. * 1918 - King's Flag (awarded by His Majesty the King George V) was won by 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scouts for the second time in Ceylon scouting history. * 1919 - King's Flag (awarded by His Majesty the King George V) was won by 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scouts for the third time in Ceylon scouting history. * 1921 - 1921 - B.P.'s visit to Sri Lanka with Lady Olave Baden-Powell; Scouting started in Prisons. * 1925 - Vernon Grenier becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1930 - Scout HQ moves to an old guardroom at Galle Face, Colombo. * 1930 - J.H. De Saram become the first native Chief Commissioner. * 1932 - All Ceylon Scout Craft exhibition at Katugastota, Kandy. * 1934 - Lord and Lady Baden-Powell visit Sri Lanka * 1942 - K. Somasundaram becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1948 - Col. C.P. Jayawardene becomes the Chief Commissioner. New Buildings of National Headquarters. Pedru Camp-site at Nuwera-Eliya. Job Week scheme started. Sinhala and Tamil edition of Scouting for Boys published. * 1952 - Ceylon Jamboree at Koombi Kele, Colombo. (near the present BMICH, Colombo.) * 1954 - E.W. Kannangara becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1957 - Participation in Jubilee Jamboree in England; Scout Council Act of Incorporation passed in Parliament * 1962 - Golden Jubilee Jamboree at Race Course, Colombo. * 1967 - Fitzroy H. Gunesekera becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1972 - C.M.P. Wanigatunga becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1977 - H. Ratnasuriya becomes Chief Commissioner. National HQ shifted to Chitthampalan Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 02. * 1978 - Old Rajans Scouts Association (ORSA), the first South Asian old scout association formed by the old scouts of 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group, Dharmaraja College, Kandy. * 1982 - Theodore Seneviratne becomes Chief Commissioner. Special Commemorative Stamp in honour of B.P. on 125th Birth Anniversary. * 1983 - 3rd National Jamboree at Anuradhapura. * 1984 - 2nd National Cubboree. * 1987 - Rex Jayasinghe becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1990 - 1st SAARC Jamboree at Vihara Maha Devi Park, Colombo. Chief Commissioner Rex Jayasinghe dies just before Jamboree. J. Lionel Silva becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1992 - 4th National Jamboree in Kurunegala. M. Mazzahim Mohideen becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1997 - K.H. Camillus Fernando becomes Chief Commissioner. * 1998 - 5th National Jamboree, Pallekelle, Kandy. * 1998 - First Asia- Pacific Workshop on Information Technology - Colombo, First Web page hosted by University of Morotuwa. * 2002 - H.S.Weerakoon becomes Chief Commissioner. 6th National Scout Jamboree, Balapitiya. * 2006 - 7th National Scout Jamboree, Nuwara Eliya. * 2007 - C.Batuwangala becomes Chief Commissioner. * 2009 - First female Cub Scouts invested on 23 January * 2009 - Chathura Deshapriya Mataraarachchi was awarded the Outstanding Asia-Pacific Scout Award. * 2010 - 8th National Scout Jamboree, Angunakolapelessa. * 2011 - Sri Lankan First Equestrian Scouts are invested, Premadasa Riding School collaboration with SLEA at Nugegoda. Sri Lanka is the first country to introduce Equestrian Scouting to the Scouting agenda in the Asia Pacific Region. * 2012 - 29th APR and Sri Lanka Centenary Scout Jamboree,Dambulla. * 2012 - Prof. Nimal De Silva becomes Chief Commissioner on 19 April 2012. * 2013 - 10th National Cubboree, St.Anthony's College, Wattala. Sri Lanka. In 2012, the Sri Lanka Scout Association celebrated 100 years of Scouting in Sri Lanka. For this they organized a centenary Scout walk, issued a new stamp and a Rs.2/= coin and were host of the Asia-Pacific Scout Jamboree at Gam Udawa & Kandalama sites Dambulla, Matale District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka from 31 March to 7 April 2012 with approximately 8,000 Scouts including overseas participants from 23 countries. * 2014 - 8th Asia-Pacific Scout Leaders Summit 2014 at Goldi Sands Hotel Ethukala, Negombo. National Scout Jamboree National Jamboree is organizing by National HQ .Sri Lanka Scout Association 2009 Program # 1st All Ceylon Rally, Havelock Race Course,Colombo,1917 # 2nd National Scout Jamboree, Koombi Kele, Colombo,1952 # 3rd National Scout Jamboree, Anuradhapura,1983 # 4th National Scout Jamboree, Kurunegala,1992 # 5th National Scout Jamboree, Kandy, 1998 # 6th National Scout Jamboree, Balapitiya,2002 # 7th National Scout Jamboree, Nuwara Eliya,2006 # 8th National Scout Jamboree, Angunakolapelessa,2010 Known Scouters from Sri Lanka Gerald Fernando served as the International Boy Scout Commissioner for the Far East in the 1950s. Senator E.W. Kannangara served on the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1960 until 1961. In 1973, Kingsley C. Dassanayake was awarded the Bronze Wolf, the only distinction of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, awarded by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting. Program Sections Age range Scouting section 7 to 11 - Cubs Scouts 11 to 15 - Junior Scout 15 and 18 - Senior Scouts 18 and 24 - Rover Scout Rover Scouts Youth between the Age 17 and 24 years are eligible to be trained as Rover Scouts. A Rover Scout working for the B.P. Award must maintain a Record Book (not his personal Log Book) from the date he was invested as a Rover Scout for a minimum of 2 years. In the first half of the book he will record every Crew Meeting he attended and every C-I-C he was present at. He will give the date of the meetings, their duration, and the important events of the programme. He should have attended a minimum of 24 Crew Meetings and 6 C-I-C meetings, to be eligible for the B.P. Award. Special Sections Air Scouting and Sea Scouting are different ways of delivering the programme, and are not separate organizations. They are based on the same fundamental Scouting Aims & Methods. Sea and Air Scouts follow the core balanced programme for their section but usually add a nautical or aeronautical twist to the programme and activities. Sea Scouting Sea Scouts in Sri Lanka was originally established in 1932. Sri Lanka Scout Association is about to officially relaunch the Sea Scouts. The Sri Lanka Navy would be providing all the technical facilities and some of the training. Commander Suresh De Silva a former President’s Scout, who is now the Headquarters Commissioner for Sea Scouts is in charge of the operations. There was already two day orientation course for prospective Leaders and a one day practical course for the Scouts. Air Scouting The Air Scouts Group in Sri Lanka is the SLAF Air Scouts Group. This Group was started in 1972 with Wg Cdr PTD De Silva as the first Group Scout Leader, at SLAF premises Guwanpura, Borella. This was extended to SLAF Base Katunayake in 1978 when Air Commodore DB Siriwardana was the Base Commander at SLAF Base Katunayake. Equestrian Scouting The Sri Lanka Scout Association is the first organization to introduce Equestrian Scouting to the Scouting agenda in the Asia Pacific Region. Even though the equestrian proficiency badge has been included among the five essential badges, a scout must obtain to be subjected for the Scouts Awards, the activity has been set aside for the past few decades due to lack of facilities in the country. Scout Training Camps Pedro Scout Training Camp near Nuwara Eliya ( ) is known for its tropical forests and hills. Lee Dasanayaka Scout Activity Center near Mirigama ( ) is set in 12 acres of forest in the Gampaha District. The site offers camping facilities, woodland and campsite activities, hiking tracks and a large rally ground. Lake View Park International Scout Centre in Kandy ( ) is a 57-acre ground belonging to Dharmaraja College. The park is modeled after Gilwell Park in London. It consists of rally grounds, camp sites, campfire circle, the den, kitchen complex, lecture rooms and dormitories. It is the home for the 1st Kandy Dharmaraja Scout Group. Structure The Sri Lanka Scout Association is structured in seven Scouting provinces with 37 districts: * Northern Province * Central Province * Eastern Province * North Western Province * Western Province * Uva Province * Sabaragamuwa Province See also *The Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association *World Buddhist Scout Brotherhood *Asia-Pacific Scout Region (World Organization of the Scout Movement) *Old Rajans Scouts Association References External links *Sri Lanka Scout Association Category:WOSM member organizations Category:Youth organisations based in Sri Lanka Category:Scouting and Guiding in Sri Lanka Category:Organizations established in 1912 Category:Organizations established in 1957